Airport elevation plays a significant role in aviation performance and operations. At higher altitudes, thinner air reduces engine efficiency and lift, requiring longer takeoff distances and careful flight planning.
This ranking highlights the highest airports in the world based on elevation above sea level. Many of these airports are located in mountainous regions where geography and terrain demand specialized infrastructure and operational procedures.
High-altitude airports often present unique challenges, including reduced aircraft performance, variable weather conditions, and limited runway margins. Comparing airports using this metric provides insight into the most extreme operating environments in global aviation and the airfields built to support them.
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The table below lists the 100 highest airports in the world ranked by elevation. These airfields operate in challenging environments and require specific considerations for aircraft performance and safety.
Top 100 Highest Airports in the World
100 airports · Elevation · Worldwide
Methodology
- Ranked by Elevation
- Scope: Worldwide
- Updated automatically when airport destination data refreshes
Airports are ranked based on field elevation above mean sea level. Elevation data is sourced from airport infrastructure and aviation datasets. Only operational airports with scheduled or documented flight activity are included, with the highest-elevation airports appearing at the top of the ranking.
Frequently Asked Questions
At higher altitudes, air density decreases, which reduces engine thrust and aerodynamic lift. This requires aircraft to use longer runways and adjust performance calculations.
Many of the highest airports are found in mountainous regions such as the Andes, Himalayas, and Tibetan Plateau.
Not all aircraft are suited for high-altitude operations. Airlines often use aircraft with strong performance capabilities and adjust weight and scheduling to operate safely in these conditions.
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Other Metrics
Airports ranked by the number of countries served, highlighting the global hubs that connect travelers to the widest range of international destinations across continents.
Airports ranked by maximum runway length, highlighting the airfields capable of supporting large aircraft operations, heavy takeoff weights, and long-haul flights across global aviation networks.
Airports ranked by the number of destinations they serve nonstop, highlighting the world’s most connected hubs and the airports offering the widest airline route networks.
Airports ranked by runway count, highlighting the world’s largest airfields and the major hubs with the most extensive runway infrastructure supporting high levels of flight activity.
The world’s busiest airports ranked by average daily departing flights, highlighting the global airline hubs that handle the highest levels of flight activity across international and domestic aviation networks.
Airports ranked by departing flights per runway, highlighting the airports that handle the highest levels of flight activity relative to their available runway infrastructure.